Port Harcourt, Rivers State – February 27, 2026 – Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has alleged that former President Muhammadu Buhari declined to assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill due to concerns—instilled by some ministers—that Russia could hack the electronic voting system and impose an undesired leader on Nigeria.
Amaechi made the revelation on Thursday evening while addressing members of the opposition during a closed-door political meeting in Port Harcourt. He argued that Nigeria squandered a golden opportunity for genuine electoral reform because of unfounded fears of foreign interference, particularly from Russia.
“I will repeat what I said in one of these conferences. I said to them that when I was in government in Buhari’s time, Buhari wanted electoral reform,” Amaechi stated. “So a few ministers went to him, convinced him not to sign, that if he signed, Russia will hack the system and impose the wrong president on us. And he refused to sign. The same people are now shouting electoral reform.”
The former minister did not name the ministers allegedly involved nor provide documentary evidence to substantiate the claim. Buhari had withheld assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill in December 2021, citing security and constitutional concerns, before eventually signing a revised version in February 2022 after National Assembly adjustments removed direct electronic transmission of results and other contentious provisions.
Amaechi used the anecdote to underscore what he described as Nigeria’s deeper political malaise: a chronically weak opposition and inadequate civic resistance to bad governance. He insisted that the country’s problems transcend any single administration or leader, including the current President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“All I wanted to say is that Tinubu is not our problem. The problem is your position,” he declared. “We are our own problem. When the position is ready, Nigeria will change. The first thing we must know is that we must separate ourselves from the government in power.”
He urged opposition parties and political actors to draw a firm line between themselves and the ruling class, arguing that meaningful change requires independent organisation and resistance rather than co-option or accommodation.
Amaechi predicted that the current administration may soon join calls for electoral reform once political dynamics shift. “Tinubu will one day shout for electoral reform. He will. If he doesn’t shout, those who are supporting him will shout for electoral reform,” he said.
The former minister also accused political leaders of employing a gradual strategy to desensitise the public to malfeasance. “His strategy is simple. His pattern is simple. He tried something today, you are weak. He put something bigger, you are weaker,” he remarked, suggesting that lack of resistance to initial transgressions emboldens bolder actions.
Amaechi questioned the government’s handling of corruption allegations, pointing to high-profile international travels amid domestic outcry over public fund mismanagement. “Which president goes to France to give an award? Which president goes to France when you are shouting, ‘Oh, this man is stealing our money?’” he asked rhetorically. “You are stealing our money, and he still goes to that place. He’s asking, what will you do? You can do what? The day you show him you can do something, God will bless him.”
He concluded by framing his remarks as necessary but uncomfortable truths about Nigeria’s political reality. “I think, like every other person, I’ve said what needs to be said,” Amaechi added.
The comments have reignited debate over the 2022 Electoral Act amendments, which introduced innovations such as mandatory early result transmission to INEC servers but retained manual collation at polling units following the removal of compulsory electronic transmission. Critics, including civil society organisations and some opposition figures, have continued to argue that the final Act fell short of international best practices due to concessions made to address security and technical concerns.
Amaechi’s intervention comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of Nigeria’s electoral framework ahead of the 2027 general elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently released an updated 2026–2027 timetable that has drawn criticism from opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which described certain compliance requirements as exclusionary “boobytraps.”
No immediate response has come from the Presidency, former President Buhari, or the named ministers. However, political analysts note that Amaechi’s public criticism reflects ongoing tensions within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and broader frustration among former Buhari-era officials over the trajectory of governance under President Tinubu.
As opposition voices grow louder on electoral integrity and accountability, Amaechi’s remarks are likely to fuel discussions on the need for stronger civic engagement, independent opposition platforms, and reforms that withstand external pressure narratives.
